Legislative Priorities
We will advocate in the 131st Legislature (2023 - 2024) on Voting Rights, Clean Elections & Campaign Finance Reform, Election Administration, Ethics & Disclosure, Freedom of Information, and Good Government. We are focusing on National Popular Vote, expanding absentee ballot access, expanding Clean Elections, structural reform (like Ranked Choice Voting), racial justice issues, and standing with the Wabanaki Alliance and their right to tribal sovereignty.
National Popular Vote
It favors voters, not parties, land, geography, factions, or states. NPV works within the constitution, and does not change or abolish the Electoral College. The National Popular Vote guarantees the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Voting Rights
We work year-in, year-out to protect voter rights and expand access to the ballot. Our leadership has helped to make Maine one the most pro-voter states in the country. This year, we worked to pass online voter registration and other critical democracy reform bills.
Money in Politics
We are deeply committed to reforming our nation's campaign finance system to ensure the public's right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, enable candidates to compete more equitably for public office and allow maximum citizen participation in the political process.
Ranked Choice Voting
Maine uses ranked choice voting for both the primary and general elections for our federal delegation and for President of the U.S., but ranked choice voting is only used in the primary elections for state races. Local elections do not use ranked choice voting except in Portland and Westbrook.
Redistricting
Redistricting in the United States is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. Maine has an advisory commission help draw congressional and legislative boundaries. The advisory commission can create maps for the legislature to approve, though the legislature is not bound to only those maps drawn by the commission.
Election Security and Integrity
We support voting systems that are secure, accurate, recountable, accessible, and transparent. Our democracy rests not only on the integrity of our election process, but also on the public confidence that we, as citizens, have in our elections.
Primary Elections
We support policies that permit broad citizen participation in primary elections while at the same time balancing the interests of major parties, small parties, and independent candidates and permitting political parties to perform their traditional functions.
Youth Engagement
We're here to help high school and college students register to vote, educate about how local government and civic engagement works, and protect the voter rights of young people.
Youth Council
The youth council of the League of Women Voters of Maine is a group of high school and college students who take charge of getting people engaged in democracy in their schools and communities. We organize events, put on workshops, and have a newsletter full of opportunities.